


don't take much

by Anonymous



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Angst, Canon Era, Confessions, Friendship, Gen, One Shot, Past Relationship(s), you can ship spot & davey if you want
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-04-08
Packaged: 2019-04-20 04:38:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14253183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: After Jack's betrayal, David finds strength in an unlikely friend





	don't take much

David didn’t turn around when he heard the sounds of footsteps approaching. Another useless attempt at sympathy probably awaited him and he continued to stare out into the horizon, his mind raging with the memories from earlier.

“Someone said I’d find you up here.”

Recognizing the voice in an instant, David’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. He glanced over his shoulder, not expecting Spot of all people to be here. 

There was hesitant lingering, neither wanting to make the first move. Seeing Spot quiet, contemplative, put David at ease and he turn back to the Manhattan view, allowing Spot to do as he wished. 

“You know, Jack’s never been the easiest person to understand,” Spot began, joining David at the rooftop edge. He leaned down on his elbows, mimicking David’s pose.

“Suppose it was his eagerness, like he wanted to please you, that made it so hard to pull away.”

“Rich words coming from you,” David muttered, picking at some loose brick crumbles. “You would’ve torn his head off given the chance.”

Spot grimaced, his face growing dark for a second. “This ain’t about me right now.” 

“What, you’re going to say something that’ll change everything I think about Jack right now?” David scoffed. “He lied to us, Spot. He’s a fake and I don’t know why I ever put my faith in him.” Each word had increased in volume until David hung his head, tension pulling at his chest. 

“I know what he’s done,” Spot cut in, his features hardened over. “Don’t need to tell me twice.”

David shook his head, pushing away from the ledge. Vile words, cold thoughts sat on his tongue and it took David a few steps before faced Spot again. 

“Why are you here, Spot?” David braved the waters, his shoulders falling in defeat. 

No reply came, only the distant sounds of the city below them passing between the two. As he waited, David had expected this and he looked towards the door that led back into the building. 

“Just came to let you know you’re not alone. I loved Jack and he let me down too.” 

David blinked, Spot’s response surely a trick. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what Spot and Jack’s relationship had been like, let alone them being together in the first place. While he had noticed some visible tension when they asked for Brooklyn’s help, David assumed it old rivalries instead of broken hearts. 

“That’s why we had to prove it to you,” was all David could manage out, his mind coming to terms with Spot’s attitude. 

David felt torn, a guilt consuming him knowing that he had taken Spot’s place next to Jack. If he had been the cause of their end, David wanted to apologize then and there, even if he had been oblivious at the time. 

“Wasn’t your fault we ended,” Spot supplied, as if reading David’s mind. “He was too much talk and empty promises. Couldn’t take it no more.”

Spot turned from the ledge, leaning back against it and crossing his arms. “Then you came along, Davey. Giving us a side of Jack that really meant something. I thought maybe you was what I couldn’t be.”

“And he still sold us out in the end.” David hadn’t meant to interrupt and heat rose to his face as Spot stared him down. 

“Yeah, he did,” Spot sighed, his arms dropping to his sides. “Old habits die hard, I guess.”

If this had meant to be an inspirational speech, David had heard better. Or so he tried to convince himself. To not be alone in his anger, knowing someone else had hurt like him, it lit a fire that David wondered had been in him all along.

Pushing off the wall, Spot stepped over to David, stopping far enough to give David his space. “You’ve done good, Davey. You won’t be too bad of a leader.”

A compliment from Spot made David want to laugh, but he kept his mouth clamped tight, his head down as Spot nodded before stepping past him. 

“You’ve got Brooklyn on your side. No way all of us can fail now.”

Glancing up, David matched Spot’s half-smile and Spot touched his cap in farewell before he headed off the rooftop, leaving David alone. 

With Spot gone, the space felt too large and David stared at the door, wishing for him to come back. He didn’t know what he had wanted to hear, but Spot’s words were encouraging, if not disheartening at the same time. 

A part of David wanted to give Jack a second chance. He hoped all he had seen was a bad dream, ready to welcome Jack back with open arms if he appeared on the roof right this second. 

Scoffing, David clung onto his bitterness and shoved his hands into his pockets. There would be no more Jack Kelly in his life or any other newsies’ life. This strike was theirs now and no two-timing liar was going to change that.

**Author's Note:**

> hey uh talk to me about davey and spot's relationship
> 
> (whichever way you see them)
> 
> [Tumblr](http://safarikalamari.tumblr.com)


End file.
